IN CONVERSATION WITH | VICTORIA FOX: FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF MELBOURNE DAY SPA, MISS FOX

On our recent trip to Melbourne, we were lucky enough to not only visit MISS FOX, a stunning Melbourne CBD day spa, but to receive a couple of treatments whilst we were there.

Trust me, if you're going to be in Melbourne soon then this is a "Must Read" and "Must Visit" location that should be on your hit list. Read on....

In the middle of the bustling city across a Melbourne lane way and behind an inconspicuous door, up a steep flight of stairs you'll find yourself in the urban oasis that is MISS FOX. We were so impressed by the business - it spoke to all parts of who we are as individuals at TLSE - that we decided to delve in a little deeper through an interview with founder, Victoria Fox, and get to the core and concept of this beautiful space and the power of self care in our busy world.

[TLSE] Tell us a bit about MISS FOX, and the story behind your brand?

[VICTORIA] MISS FOX began as a vision — a beauty wonderland that I dreamed existed, but didn’t. Inspired by my travels across the US and Europe, I wanted to create, and experience, a one-stop destination to help you look and feel your best, where all your needs were truly cared for. As it turns out, what started me off in the beauty and wellness industry 10 years ago was an extremely unpleasant, uncaring and traumatic experience. I never wanted any woman to experience that, particularly give how vulnerable and intimate the process of beauty and Self Care can be.

We have crafted a safe, nurturing and magical sanctuary of Self Care — treating body, mind and spirit in 5-star style, with deep heart and soul. At MISS FOX you can experience holistic and empowering Self Care therapy, with a luxury suite of grooming, spa, skin, health and wellbeing services — all mindfully selected and magically combined for radiant beauty, within and without. We’ve now won multiple awards for our work, including most recently being crowned World’s Best Beauty Salon 2018 in the World Spa Awards.

For the spiritual amongst us that realise the importance of the little things (for example, the way you have priced treatments from $222, $333, $444 etc), can you give us the low down on the meaning behind this and why it was an important aspect of your business?

Whilst I have always believed in the wonder of the Universe and looked for the magic of everyday, 4 years ago I experienced a profound awakening which helped bring the spiritual aspects of my being in line with the the mental and physical elements (the parts had been getting all the attention!). This encouraged me to invest in practices such as Yoga (I am now a qualified teacher), radically change my diet and lifestyle, begin meditation, study Reiki (I am also now a qualified practitioner), and begin working with crystals and plants again (which I had done as a child).

Repeating numbers are a form of synchronicity — showing you that the mental and spiritual realms of your world are starting to integrate. Have you ever really wanting something, and it then magically played out that you received it? Thought of someone, and then they called? Needed a break, and then got one? Is it always 2:22, 3:33 or 4:44 when you check the time? These things are’t just luck or chance, they are the messages and powers of the conscious and unconscious mind manifesting in the physical. From crystals to numbers to mantras, to lots in between, we integrate spirituality in our services because it's a part of who we are — it’s a part of who we all are.

Why was this a service you felt compelled to create? And why is this a cause so close to your heart?

This is hard to answer, because after working in corporate for 10 years, I would never have dreamed that I would find myself in the beauty industry — which I found once I entered could be very ugly indeed. I felt that the industry needed to be redefined, and we have done that through our positive messaging, luxury experiences, exceptional hygiene and safety, a deep element of love in everything we do, and bringing everything back to Self Care. I believe that Self Care is how you get to know yourself, and how you know yourself is how you know the universe.

Ultimately, MISS FOX is a space where people take care of themselves for themselves. A place where what is on the inside counts as much as what is on the outside, and a place that doesn’t just look good, it feels good and it does good.

We work with suppliers that care and products that are mindful, not just marketable. We give every month to social and environmental causes all over the world. We teach our team to be their best selves so they can be a template for others. We listen to our instincts and intuition for guidance on how to run our business. MISS FOX will always be close to my heart because it’s an expression of my values, what I believe in, and ultimately, who I am.

How would you say your brand has evolved over the last few years?

As I have evolved, so has the brand. As our guests have evolved, so has the brand. Customer care has always been at the heart of our work, and what we are known for. The expansion of our menu from traditional grooming and spa treatments to holistic therapies such as nutrition, counselling, life coaching, crystal healing, reiki, yoga, and now astrology and women’s circles is natural and needed based on my relationship with myself, and our guests’ changing relationship with the world.

MISS FOX grounds itself through holistic approaches to self care. How do you personally achieve this ethos?

Self Care isn’t just candle-lit bubble baths and face masks, though I am certainly a fan of both. Holistic means treating the “whole person” not just a part. All the green smoothies in the world won’t make you healthy if you are speaking negatively to yourself all day, disrespecting your body or ignoring those nagging feelings that “there is more to my life than this”.

To ensure my own life stays holistic in its Self Care strategy, I spread the love to all the parts of my life: physical, emotional, mental, career, relationships, personal truth and spirituality. We have a rainbow of needs within us, so it's important that you keep each area attended to, clear and inspired. I practice and teach Kundalini yoga and meditation, which assists with practically everything, but I also particularly attend to my diet (and re-attend to it after a donut), and attend to my personal development through lots of reading, workshops and study. I am currently part way through a qualification in Holistic Counselling which I am grateful for and constantly inspired by.

In our busy lives how important is nurturing self care?

The most important project you will ever work on is you, and Self Care is a commitment to yourself to nurture your body, mind and spirit. You are your best self when you are taking care of yourself. Self Care sets you up to succeed, be more productive, more loving, satisfied and happier. It helps reduce stress and anxiety, and stops you burning out — or worse, having a nervous breakdown. The real power of Self Care, however, is in its ability to help you connect with yourself on a deeper level, so you can relate to the world around you with a peacefulness that comes from knowing, and loving who you are. The relationship you have with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have. Self Care is how you get to know yourself — and there is no relationship more important than that.

MISS FOX is an independent, Melbourne-made and female-owned concept Spa. So to finish off, what’s one message you are passionate about sharing with women?

It really all starts with you. Everything in your world revolves around you. This isn’t a self-absorbed view, because if you cease to exist, your world ceases to exist. How you care for and love yourself is important, and will reflect in everything you do. I truly believe we must be the change we wish to see in the world — the revolution starts with you. Show yourself care, love and compassion, and make magic happen.